The study was published in the Public Library of Science on Jan. 18 and aimed to spotlight a potentially undervalued workforce population. Researchers interviewed 17 Black and Latinx female healthcare support workers from New Jersey hospitals between December 2020 and February 2021, collecting and analyzing their responses to reveal trends.
The study found that many healthcare workers’ roles were disrupted throughout the pandemic. Having to adapt quickly to telehealth platforms and changes in job responsibilities were cited as ways the pandemic altered their work.
Some healthcare workers also reported a fear of telling their employer they were exposed to COVID-19 because they did not want to risk being sent home without pay. Others mentioned a stigma around testing positive for COVID-19, with one healthcare worker saying they stay away from colleagues who had COVID-19.
Some respondents expressed vaccine hesitancy, but seeing other employees get vaccinated, gathering information from government agencies and investigating vaccine data helped them overcome fears.
“Our findings illustrate the critical need for health systems to dedicate resources to improve the work conditions for this marginalized workforce, including offering resources that support resilience as well as addressing wages, physical conditions and mental demands, health, safety and well-being to retain them in their roles,” said study co-author Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health.
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